Buy in Brooklyn - Shop Local!
Buy in Brooklyn - Shop Local!
Independently run stores are a key part of the fabric that gives Brooklyn its character and makes it a special place to live. Additionally, economists argue that locally-owned stores are far more beneficial to local economies than chains, where the profits are rarely spent in the community where the chains operate.
Small stores, however, are increasingly threatened by soaring retail rents, incursions by national retailers and big-box stores, and the growing amount of shopping done on the Internet.
On Nov. 13, 2007, The Civic Council launched a Buy in Brooklyn/Shop Local campaign with a party for merchants at Community Bookstore. The PSCC gave merchants 400 "community umbrellas" that will circulate around the neighborhood, all urging their holders to Buy in Brooklyn.
The launch was followed by the first annual Snowflake Celebration on Dec. 13, a shop-late/shop-local event with more than 150 participating stores, plus strolling carolers.
The shop local campaign was one of the "7 for '07" ideas generated at a PSCC-run community brunch in March, 2007.
Contact Buy in Brooklyn
To learn more about the shop local campaign, contact the Buy in Brooklyn Committee or read:
The press release announcing the campaign kick off, and coverage at Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn. (See a gallery of photos from the launch.)
See additional coverage in the New York Times, Daily News, Newsday, the Brooklyn Paper, Brooklyn Eagle and the Gothamist.
PSCC President Ken Freeman's article in the November, 2007 Civic News.
10 Reasons to Shop Locally, from the Sustainable Business Alliance, NYC
The flier for Snowflake Celebration, Dec. 13.
